Bucket Holder

ABSTRACT

A bucket holder is presented for mounting to a user&#39;s clothing article, such as a belt. The bucket holder comprises a belt portion and a handle portion with an outer wire entrance. A belt portion has a belt slot that configured to place a user&#39;s belt through. The handle portion comprises a grip slot that is configured to mount a bucket handle having a wire portion and a grip. The bucket holder is designed to first place the wire portion through the outer wire entrance and then slid the grip into the grip slot. The handle portion further comprises a first wire slot and a second wire slot. The first wire slot configured to hold the wire portion when the outer entrance is facing upward, and the second wire slot configured to hold the bucket holder when the outer wire entrance is facing downward.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

Not applicable.

FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH

Not applicable.

BACKGROUND Field of Invention

The invention relates to a holder for a bucket and more particularly to a bucket holder with a belt slot that a belt can be placed through to mount the bucket holder on a user's belt.

Prior Art

Belt mounted holders are often made to carry tools used by carpenters, tradesmen, and handymen the tool holder placed in or on a belt secured around the individuals waist. This allows the user easy access to the tools and freeing the hands for more urgent tasks, such as climbing, until the tools are needed.

Some holders may have one or more flip out panels with apertures designed to support containers The inventions may also include wires and rods to support these containers.

Other bucket holders may provide for the carriage of at least one can, such as a paint can, and a variety of additional tools and equipment. The paint can holders may include one or more harnesses used to secure the paint can.

It is therefore contended that a need exists for a new and improved type of bucket holder that does not require wires, rods, buckets holding belts or harnesses, or flip out panels. The current invention provides a simple invention with out the inherent drawbacks and disadvantages of the known prior art. It is further contended that the current bucket holder should be easy to use and inexpensive to manufacture.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is therefore a primary object of the present invention to provide a bucket holder that is mounted on a user's belt that allows the user to easily carry a bucket or other items.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a bucket holder that may be easily installed and placed in operation by the user.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a bucket holder that does not require any modifications or the adjustment of wires, rods, belts or harness, or flip out panels to carry the intended load.

Presented is a one embodiment of the present invention, a bucket holder comprising a handle portion and a belt portion with the belt portion having a belt hold means and the handle portion having at least a grip slot in which the grip of a bucket handle can be inserted. The bucket holder may have a grip ridge slot which a grip ridge (i.e., a raised ridge running circumferentially about the center of the handle) may be placed while the bucket is carried. Further the handle portion may also comprise a first wire slot and a second wire slot. The first and second wire slots are configured to carry the wire portion of the bucket handle when the grip is not used or on bucket handles without a grip. The wire portion of the bucket handle is inserted in an outer wire entrance and the grip then moved into the grip slot. For handles without a grip, once the wire portion is inserted into the outer wire entrance, it is them placed in the wire slot facing upward, either the first wire slot or the second wire slot. The grip slot, the first wire slot and the second wire slot are open at a first end and a second end of the bucket holder allowing the grip and the wire portion to move into and out of each slot. Although the bucket holder is discussed with reference to a bucket having a wire portion and those with and without a grip, the bucket holder may be used to carry other items with a closed loop handle that will fit into the outer wire entrance.

The invention itself together with additional objects and advantages thereof, will be best understood from the following description of the embodiments when read and understood in connection with accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In describing various examples of the present invention and, together with the detailed description, the accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and form part of the specification and serve to explain the principles of the invention as illustrated in the following:

FIG. 1 is a prospective view for the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a prospective view of a bucket;

FIG. 3 is a plan view for the present invention looking through the outer wire entrance;

FIG. 4 is a sectional prospective view along line 4-4 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a prospective view of the present invention showing the wire portion being inserted in the outer wire entrance;

FIG. 6 is a prospective view of the present invention showing the grip being inserted in the grip slot;

FIG. 7 is a prospective view of the present invention showing the grip resting in the grip slot;

FIG. 8 is a prospective view of the present invention showing the wire being inserted in the first wire slot;

FIG. 9 is a prospective view of the present invention showing the grip ridge of the grip being inserted in the grip ridge slot;

FIG. 10 is a prospective view of the present invention with element numbers; and

FIG. 11 is a prospective view of the present invention with key dimensions.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Presented is a one embodiment of the present invention, a bucket holder 10 shown in FIG. 1. The bucket holder 10 is designed for a bucket 11 having a bucket handle 11 h. The handle may comprise a wire portion 11 w and a grip 11 g for the hand, or the handle may only comprise the wire portion 11 w. Looking again to FIG. 1, the bucket holder 10 comprises a handle portion 12 and a belt portion 14, as divided by the dashed plane 14 p, with the belt portion having a belt hold means 15, such as a belt loop 44, and the handle portion 12 having at least a grip slot 16.

The handle portion 12 may comprises at least the grip slot 16, but preferably also a first wire slot 18, a second wire slot 20 and a grip ridge slot 22 shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. Looking again to FIGS. 1 and 2, the grip slot 16 is open at a first end 17 a and a second end 17 b, and has an outer wire entrance 37 that allows the wire portion 11 w of bucket handle 11 h to be inserted through the outer wire entrance 37 and once the wire portion 11 w is in the grip slot 16, the grip 11 g of the bucket 11 is moved into the grip slot 16 through the first end 17 a or the second end 17 b with a grip ridge 11 r of the grip 11 g resting in the grip ridge slot 22 shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. When the bucket handle 11 h does not have a grip 11 g, the wire portion 11 w of the bucket handle 11 h may be placed in the first wire slot 18 or in the second wire slot 20, whichever is facing in an up direction U a shown in FIG. 1.

Looking to FIG. 5 the wire portion 11 w (i.e. the wire) of the bucket handle 11 h is initially placed in the outer wire entrance 37. Looking to FIG. 6, the grip 11 g is inserted in direction W into the grip slot 16 coming to rest as shown in FIG. 7. Looking to FIG. 8, when the bucket handle 11 h consist of only the wire portion 11 w, the wire portion 11 w, may be placed in to first wire slot 18 or if the bucket holder 10 is inverted into the second wire slot 20. Looking to FIG. 9, the same sectional view of the bucket holder 10 presented in FIG. 4 is again presented showing the grip ridge 11 r of the grip 11 g inserted in the grip ridge slot 22.

Looking to FIG. 10, The handle portion 12 further has a grip belt side surface 23 connected to a base first wire slot surface 24 a of a first wire slot surface 24 at a first inner corner 25 a. The first wire slot 18 is cut back into the handle portion 12 to allow the wire portion 11 w of the bucket handle 11 h to rest in the first wire slot 18 more securely. The first wire slot surface 24 has the base first wire slot surface 24 a and an opposite base first wire slot inner surface 24 b. The base first wire slot surface 24 a may be at a 45 degree inner angle to the opposite base first wire slot inner surface 24 b. The opposite base first wire slot inner surface 24 b is connected to a grip ridge surface 26 at a third inner corner 25 c. The grip ridge surface 26 connects to a grip inner side surface 28 at a fourth inner corner 27. The grip inner side surface 28 connects to a second wire inner surface 30 at a fifth inner corner 29. A second grip ridge 32 connects to a wire entrance surface 36 to the second wire inner surface 30. The grip inner side surface 28 and the second wire inner surface 30 form the second wire slot 20 that is u-shaped. The grip slot 16 is formed by the grip ridge surface 26 connected to the grip inner side surface 28 at the fourth inner corner 27, the grip inner side surface 28 being opposite the grip belt side surface 23. The second grip ridge 32 has a second grip ridge surface 34 that is U shaped and joins a wire entrance surface 36 to the second wire inner surface 30. The wire entrance surface 36 joins a grip opposite base surface 38 at a first outer corner 39. The wire entrance surface 36 is located opposite the grip belt side surface 23 with the outer wire entrance 37 there between. The grip opposite base surface 38 joins a grip outer side surface 40 at a second outer corner 41. The grip outer side surface 40 joins a grip part 42 a of a base outer surface 42 at a third outer corner 43.

The belt portion 14 comprises a belt hold means 15, such as a belt slot 44 that a user's belt is placed through. The belt slot runs from the first end 17 a to the second end 17 b of the bucket holder 10. The belt slot 44 comprises a belt first inner surface 46 parallel to a belt second inner surface 48 with a first belt inner corner surface 50 that is u-shaped and a second belt inner corner surface 52 that is u-shaped connecting the belt first inner surface 46 to the belt second inner surface 48 forming the belt slot 44. The belt portion 14 further has a body side surface 54, a belt part 42 b of base outer surface 42, and a belt opposite base surface 56. The body side surface 54 joins the belt part 42 b of the base outer surface 42 at a fourth outer corner 55. The body side surface 54 joins belt opposite base surface 56 at a fifth outer corner 57. The belt opposite base surface 56 of joins the grip belt side surface 23 at a sixth outer corner 59. The bucket holder 10 has first end 17 a and a second end 17 b with the handle portion 12 and the belt portion 14 running from the first end 17 a to the second end 17 b. The first end 17 a and a second end 17 b may be generally parallel. The grip outer side surface 40, the grip inner side surface 28, the wire entrance surface 36, the grip belt side surface 23, the belt first inner surface 46, the belt second inner surface 48, and the body side surface 54 may be generally parallel. The base outer surface 42 may be generally perpendicular to the grip outer side surface 40, the grip inner side surface 28, the wire entrance surface 36, the grip belt side surface 23, the belt first inner surface 46, the belt second inner surface 48, and the body side surface 54; and the base outer surface 42 may be generally parallel to the grip opposite base surface 38 and belt opposite base surface 56.

Looking to FIG. 11, the one embodiment may have a length 70 of 3 inches as measured from the first end 17 a to the second end 17 b, and may have a width 72 of 1.5 inches as measure form the body side surface 54 to the grip outer side surface 40. The belt portion 14 may have a belt portion height 74 of 2 inches as measured from the belt part 42 b of the base outer surface 42 to the belt opposite base surface 56. The handle portion may have a handle portion height 76 of 1.75 inches as measured from the grip part 42 a of base outer surface 42 to the grip opposite base surface 38. The grip slot 16 may have a grip slot width 80 of 0.625 inches as measured from the grip inner side surface 28 to the grip belt side 23 surface. The grip slot 16 may have a grip slot height 82 of 0.75 inches as measured from the grip ridge surface 26 to the second grip ridge 32. The first wire slot 18 may have a first wire slot length 84 of 0.375 inches as measured from the grip belt side surface 23 to the second inner corner 25 b. The first wire slot 18 may have a first wire slot width 86 of 0.25 inches as measured from the third inner corner 25 c to the base first wire slot surface 24 a. The second wire slot 20 have a second wire slot width 88 of 0.1875 inches as measured from the grip inner side surface 28 to the second wire inner surface 30. The second wire slot 20 may have a second wire slot length 90 of 0.3750 inches as measured from the fifth inner corner 29 to the second grip ridge 32. The belt slot may have a belt slot width 92 of 0.2500 inches as measured from the belt first inner surface 46 to the belt second inner surface 48. The belt slot may have a belt slot height 94 of 1.625 inches as measured from the first belt inner corner surface 50 to the second belt inner corner surface 52. The outer wire entrance 37 may have an entrance width 95 of 0.2500 as measured from the grip belt side surface 23 to the wire entrance surface 36. The bucket holder 10 may have grip sidewall width 96 between 0.1875 and 0.25 inches, preferably 0.25 inches and a belt sidewall width 97 between 0.1875 and 0.500 inches, preferably 0.1875 inches. The bucket holder 10 may have a base thickness 98 of 0.50 inches as measured from the grip part 42 a of the base outer surface 42 to the grip ridge surface 26. Looking to FIG. 3, the grip ridge slot 22 may have a grip ridge slot width 99 of 0.25 inches. All dimensions are dependant on the design load and the materials used and may be adjusted as required. The dimensions provided are for a bucket holder 10 made of a high density polyethylene designed to carry a gallon of paint. The bucket holder 10 may also be made a variety of material such as: metals (e.g., aluminum, steels, and titanium), plastics (e.g., high density polyethylene), composite materials, or other materials with sufficient strength to carry the design load.

Although the several versions of the present invention have been described in considerable detail with reference to the version thereof, other versions are possible. Therefore, the spirit and scope of the appended claims should not be limited to the description of the preferred version contained herein. Various deviations and modification may be made within the spirit and scope of this invention without departing from the main theme thereof. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A bucket holder comprising a handle portion and a belt portion; the handle portion comprising a grip slot; and the belt portion having a belt hold means.
 2. The bucket holder according to claim 1 further comprising a first wire slot.
 3. The bucket holder according to claim 2 further comprising a grip ridge slot.
 4. The bucket holder according to claim 3 further comprising a second wire slot.
 5. The bucket holder according to claim 4 wherein the grip ridge slot is located between the first wire slot and the second wire slot; the grip ridge slot located midway along the first wire slot; the grip slot open at a first end and a second end, and the grip slot having a outer wire entrance.
 6. The bucket holder of claim 5 wherein the handle portion further comprises a grip belt side surface connected to a base first wire slot surface of a first wire slot surface at a first inner corner; the first wire slot surface having the base first wire slot surface and an opposite base first wire slot inner surface; the base first wire slot surface being forming and inner angle with the opposite base first wire slot inner surface; the opposite base first wire slot inner surface connected to a grip ridge surface at a third inner corner; the grip ridge surface connected to a grip inner side surface at a fourth inner corner; the grip inner side surface connected to a second wire inner surface at a fifth inner corner; a second grip ridge connecting to a wire entrance surface to the second wire inner surface; the grip inner side surface and the second wire inner surface forming the second wire slot; the grip slot formed by the grip ridge surface connected to the grip inner side surface at the fifth inner corner that is U-shaped and that is opposite the grip belt side surface; the second grip ridge having a second grip ridge surface that joins the wire entrance surface to the second wire inner surface; the wire entrance surface joins a grip opposite base surface at a first outer corner; the wire entrance surface being opposite the grip belt side surface with the outer wire entrance there between; the grip opposite base surface joins a grip outer side surface at a second outer corner; the grip outer side surface joining a grip part of a base outer surface at a third outer corner.
 7. The bucket holder of claim 6 wherein the belt hold means comprises a belt slot; the belt slot comprising a belt first inner surface parallel to a belt second inner surface; a first belt inner corner surface and a second belt inner corner surface connecting the belt first inner surface to the belt second inner surface; the belt portion having a body side surface, a belt part of the base outer surface, and a belt opposite base surface; the body side surface joining the belt part of the base outer surface at a fourth outer corner; the body side surface joining the belt opposite base surface at a fifth outer corner; the belt opposite base surface joining the grip belt side surface at a sixth outer corner; the bucket holder having the first end and the second end with the handle portion and the belt portion running from the first end to the second end.
 8. The bucket holder of claim 7 wherein the first end and the second end are generally parallel; the grip outer side surface, the grip inner side surface, the wire entrance surface, the grip belt side surface, the belt first inner surface, the belt second inner surface, and the body side surface are generally parallel; the base outer surface being generally perpendicular to the grip outer side surface, the grip inner side surface, the wire entrance surface, the grip belt side surface, the belt first inner surface, the belt second inner surface, and the body side surface; and the base outer surface being generally parallel to the grip opposite base surface and the belt opposite base surface.
 9. The bucket holder according to claim 1 further comprising a second wire slot.
 10. The bucket holder according to claim 9 further comprising a first wire slot.
 11. The bucket holder according to claim 10 further comprising a grip ridge slot.
 12. The bucket holder according to claim 11 wherein the grip slot is located between the first wire slot and the second wire slot; the grip ridge slot located midway along the first wire slot; the grip slot open at a first end and a second end, and the grip slot having a outer wire entrance.
 13. The bucket holder of claim 12 wherein the handle portion further comprises a grip belt side surface connected to a base first wire slot surface of a first wire slot surface at a first inner corner; the first wire slot surface having the base first wire slot surface and an opposite base first wire slot inner surface; the base first wire slot surface being forming and inner angle with the opposite base first wire slot inner surface; the opposite base first wire slot inner surface connected to a grip ridge surface at a third inner corner; the grip ridge surface connected to a grip inner side surface at a fourth inner corner; the grip inner side surface connected to a second wire inner surface at a fifth inner corner; a second grip ridge connecting to a wire entrance surface to the second wire inner surface; the grip inner side surface and the second wire inner surface forming the second wire slot; the grip slot formed by the grip ridge surface connected to the grip inner side surface at the fifth inner corner that is U-shaped and that is opposite the grip belt side surface; the second grip ridge having a second grip ridge surface that joins the wire entrance surface to the second wire inner surface; the wire entrance surface joins a grip opposite base surface at a first outer corner; the wire entrance surface being opposite the grip belt side surface with the outer wire entrance there between; the grip opposite base surface joins a grip outer side surface at a second outer corner; the grip outer side surface joining a grip part of a base outer surface at a third outer corner.
 14. The bucket holder of claim 13 wherein the belt hold means comprises a belt slot; the belt slot comprising a belt first inner surface parallel to a belt second inner surface; a first belt inner corner surface and a second belt inner corner surface connecting the belt first inner surface to the belt second inner surface; the belt portion having a body side surface, a belt part of the base outer surface, and a belt opposite base surface; the body side surface joining the belt part of the base outer surface at a fourth outer corner; the body side surface joining the belt opposite base surface at a fifth outer corner; the belt opposite base surface joining the grip belt side surface at a sixth outer corner; the bucket holder having the first end and the second end with the handle portion and the belt portion running from the first end to the second end.
 15. The bucket holder of claim 14 wherein the first end and the second end are generally parallel; the grip outer side surface, the grip inner side surface, the wire entrance surface, the grip belt side surface, the belt first inner surface, the belt second inner surface, and the body side surface are generally parallel; the base outer surface being generally perpendicular to the grip outer side surface, the grip inner side surface, the wire entrance surface, the grip belt side surface, the belt first inner surface, the belt second inner surface, and the body side surface; and the base outer surface being generally parallel to the grip opposite base surface and the belt opposite base surface. 